Cytomel with or without food
Common Questions and Answers about Cytomel with or without food
cytomel
I have seen where people say to take it a hour later from synthroid and with food yet the pharmacist said take it without food, yet the pamphlet from the pharmacy said take it with or without food. I always take my synthroid upon waking early without food for 30 min. and wait till lunch for vitamins and calcium etc. I am also on the generic cytomel hence the pharmacy changed that so I hope it is the same.
DId you feel any changed when you first added generic cytomel, just want to be prepared .
I agree that you should not take calcium supplements, etc for 4 hours after taking thyroid med; however, I'm not convinced that a bit of milk in your morning coffee is going to mess things up much, if at all.
Read the information sheet that came with your cytomel. Mine says it can be taken "with or without food". Levothyroxine, which is a T4 med, should be taken on an empty stomach at least an hour before eating; however, I don't believe that holds true for cytomel.
I took Cytomel for a year and it was a miracle med for me. Previous treatment with T4 alone did nothing for me that I could feel. With the addition of Cytomel, I felt great and was able to eat a normal amount of food without gaining weight. When I changed insurance coverage, I had to use the generic form of T3. It didn't work like the Cytomel did. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? My labs were not different on the Cytomel, but I felt so much better.
My doctor prescribed Cytomel, which I have not been able to tolerate due to heart palpitations. When I started taking the Cytomel I noticed things in me disappearing that I have struggled with my whole life and felt better than I knew possible. I even started losing weight without making a change to my diet, I have struggled to lose a lb even on phentermine. My 8 year old son even asked me how come I was being so nice all the time.
Please can I have your opinions on weather or not I should increase my Cytomel by 5mcg a day or my Tirosint back to 100. Easier to increase Cytomel since I have extra, but I could convince him to up my Tirosint if I say I'm reducing my Cytomel (but not). I know it's dishonest, but he's looking too heavily at TSH and I'm suffering! He's a great doctor otherwise and I don't want to switch doctor's.
Additionally, the insert that comes with my cytomel says that cytomel, unlike synthroid or other T4 meds, can be taken with or without food, so there is no need to wait an hour to eat, etc. Keep in mind though, that, like T4 med, it IS necessary to separate cytomel from calcium and some other vitamins, etc by at least 4 hours.
My regimen is: 3:30 am -- levothyroxin; 7:00 am -- cytomel; 12:00 -- blood pressure med, calcium, selenium, Vit C; 6:00 pm -- calcium, magnesium, Vit C.
s common to adjust them both at the same time or lower synthroid when adding cytomel. Cytomel is a T3 only med and is about 4 times more potent than the T4 med (synthroid) and too high doses of either could very easily cause a swing to hypER. Cytomel is a fast acting med, but doesn't last in the body very long - so in effect, the doctor WAS raising her total dosage. Many people find that splitting the dose throughout the day helps.
My son takes a medication that is specific WITH food and also another that says you pick with food or without food, but stay consistent with it. I think Coreg, from my reading, is food optional but the recommendation is that with food is better because it slows the rate of absorption. This is to prevent orthostatic hypotension (this is when bp drops and you get dizzy when you stand up). If you aren't having that problem by not taking it with food, then may not be a worry for you.
I started on synthroid 150mcg daily and cytomel 5mg twice daily, then 112 mcg of synthroid and same cytomel, now 125mcg synthroid with same cytomel. My anxiety has been terrible, esp. since switching to synthroid. I have never felt well since Thyroidectomy but hoping and praying I can feel better than this. My Endo thinks my numbers are fine. I have an appt. with a new Endo in January who was recommended by a Naturopath because he treats by symptoms and doesnt just go by TSH.
No way should you be taking T3 without even knowing if it is needed or not. Have you even been tested for Free T3 and Free T4? Have you even discussed this with your doctor?
Even if testing and symptoms indicate the need for thyroid meds, that does not mean that you should start with a T3 med. And the dosage you started with is so high that you may well incur a reaction. You should absolutely stop now and see a doctor for testing and consultation.
Then take cytomel three times a day. the synthroid is 75mcg and the cytomel is 5mcg 3 times a day which equals 15 mcg a day. My labs read TSH =1.33, T4,free =0.8 and T3,free =2.5 He said my numbers are at the low end. He changed me from Naturethroid to this. How do I combine these properly? I find it hard to take the 3 pills a day because of my work schedule. I read not to take cytomel at night because it interferes with sleep. Is this correct? Thanks for the help.
Cytomel can be taken with or without food, but like synthroid or levo, should not be taken within 4 hours of taking vitamins/minerals, particularly calcium. As for dairy -- I go ahead drink my milk or eat my yogurt - yes, dairy has calcium, but I don't think that's enough to worry much about.
Please do what you can to get your doctor to test your FT3 -- that's the most important of the thyroid hormones and without testing for that, you can't know where you are.
Okay.....I really understand how your wife feels. It is so hurtful sometimes. I will do some yoga to help with my anxiety...
The problem with Cytomel is that it is very fast-acting and quickly neutralized by your body if not used promptly. So, it is seldom prescribed long-term as a therapy for hyporthyroidism. T4 (Synthroid, et al) is the "storage" form of the thyroid hormone and basically floats around in your bloodstream until it is needed, at which point it is converted to T3.
What are the results of your FT3 and FT4 tests (and their reference ranges) and TSH?
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